VOORHEESVILLE - Even in what should have been its most tense moments, the Voorheesville girls' volleyball team stayed loose.

Even as they watched a two-set lead evaporate in last Saturday's Class CC championship match at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School, the Lady Blackbirds kept dancing and cheering and having fun.

The end result gave the Voorheesville girls more reason to celebrate.

The Blackbirds held off perennial power Lake George to win, three sets to two - 25-16, 25-13, 22-25, 24-26, and 25-19.
"It definitely scared us when it got to the fourth game," said Alyssa Cave, one of Voorheesville's three captains, "even though we won the last two games. They've won it [sectionals] so many times. It was time for a change."
"I looked at the girls on our team," Taryn Smith, another of the captains, added. "There was no worry. It went our way. And now we get a banner in the gym."
"Every day we would be in the gym and say, 'We want a banner,'" the team's third captain, Kristen Lysenko said. "We're the first volleyball team to get one."

The Lady Blackbirds will have a chance to add more to that banner. Voorheesville beat Hoosic Valley, in another five-set affair, at the Class CC/C match on Tuesday night at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs.

At Skidmore, however, the tables were reversed as the Blackbirds were down two sets, but came back to win the final three. The Birds will be the Class C representative from Section II and will play a regional match against a Section X (North Country) team at Franklin Academy on Saturday.
"Make yourself proud"

Last Saturday, Voorheesville dominated the first two sets and looked to be on its way to a three-game sweep.

The final point of the first game seemed to set the tone as Lysenko put an end to a long-played point to earn the nine-point win, 25-16.

The second set was just as impressive for the Blackbirds as they cruised to the 12-point win.

Then things took a turn.

The experience of the Warriors took over in the third set, and, even though they trailed for most of game, the Warriors scored the final five points of the set. They overcame a 22-20 deficit and closed out the game behind the serving of Candice Koenig.

The fourth set was dominated by Lake George as its big hitters, Kelly Fuchs and Chrissy Scanlon, finally got some good swings at the ball and made some big hits.

Voorheesville trailed, 17-11, but fought back and actually took the lead at 20-19 off four straight service points by Amanda O'Brien.

But Fuchs put the game away with a resounding kill and evened the match at two sets apiece.
"They're experienced and have staying power," Voorheesville Coach Sandy Vorse said. "I told the kids, 'Everything is in your favor. You'll be in the game right to the end. Make yourself proud. And take it one point at a time and see what happens.'"
"We always put ourselves in that position," Cave said.

The teams traded points early in the fifth and decisive set. The Blackbirds finally took the lead for good on a service point by Arielle Smith. Voorheesville had a 10-9 lead.

Smith dropped in an ace on her next serve, got a kill from Taryn Smith, then served another ace to give the Blackbirds a 13-9 lead.

Lake George cut the lead back to one, 13-12, but Voorheesville got a side out and another point - because of rally-style scoring - and added to its lead with the serving of Lysenko and hits by Alissa Hatch and Arielle Smith.

Voorheesville built an 18-12 lead before a kill by Fuchs returned the serve to Lake George.

But that possession was short lived, as Cave dropped a hit on the line for a side out and point.

The teams traded possessions, with Cave making a block to give her team a five-point lead, 20-15.

Lake George would get as close as 22-19. But the Warriors hit the ball out of bounds to give Voorheesville a four-point lead and make the score 23-19.

Lysenko then dropped in a point to make it 24-19, and O'Brien ended the match with an ace, giving the Blackbirds the championship.

"A great win"
"It was a great volleyball game," Vorse said. "This was our first time in a sectional final. Lake George had an emotional edge. They've been here so many times. They knew what signs to make and what cheers to do. I told the girls that, if we play our game, I would be proud.
"I think we made the Colonial Council proud," Vorse added. "It's a strong volleyball league. I feel like we don't get the credit we deserve in the Colonial Council. It's a great win for Voorheesville and for the league."

The Blackbirds came into the championship match with a game plan.
"Our philosophy was to attack them and get them out of their system," Vorse said. "We wanted to get the ball away from their big kids. We were giving them hard serves and getting them away from the ball. We had a good serving game today, and that helped."

Vorse was proud with how her team kept its cool after losing the two-set lead.
"We have very good seniors," the coach said. "They are amazing leaders. Even though we got down, we stayed positive. They didn't yell at the kids and kept saying, 'We can do this.'
"Twenty-one [Taryn Smith] was a little nervous after she hit the ball into the net," Vorse added. "I just told her to do what she does well and that is to lead the team and let someone else do the work. She has been working hard all season."
"We've always called ourselves 'The Comeback Team,'" Smith said. "We beat the number-two and number-one teams. This really hasn't hit me yet."